Scholz & Friends Berlin for Jobsintown.de – The Wrong Job Campaign

Have you ever wondered what really goes on inside everyday machines? A clever recruitment agency in Germany has created a series of adverts depicting just what they think goes on when you use an airport scanner, ATM, washing machine, kiddie ride and petrol pump. In the airport scanner a man appears to be hunched over a suitcase shining a torch on a pair of pants. In another ad, a child rides a toy truck while a man pedals underneath. And in a laundrette, a woman appears to hide inside an industrial washing machine cleaning clothes by hand on an old-fashioned washboard. The ads are for German recruitment company jobsintown.de and were first shown in 2009. But they proved so popular they have now become a worldwide viral internet hit. The wording on the ads simply reads, ‘Life’s too short to be in the wrong job’.

The wrong working environment campaign (2005)

The Brief
The task was to increase the brand awareness and to communicate it as a serious challenger to the established competitors. Regarding the small media budget, we had to reduce losses due to non-selective advertising, by exactly targeting people who are willing to change their job or employer.

The Media Strategy
Only 13 % of employees in Germany are satisfied with their job (Source: Gallup Organization, 2005). So we decided to show bad working conditions by a surprising insight and provoke a “this is exactly how I feel” emotion. By pointing out Jobsintown.de as a perfect solution for such a condition we stayed in the mind of our target group. We even managed to reach potential customers when they are already dealing with the topic involved: on their way to work. That, combined with a new use of media – service machines – had a strong impact on the target group.

The Creativity
By providing a surprising insight to cash machines, photo booths and coffee dispensers, we created an interaction with the medium it was placed on. Showing really bad working conditions in a humorous and innovative way, we provoked the recipients’ identification with our motives (in case they are dissatisfied with their jobs). Thus we provided the recipients with the idea of changing their jobs and pointed out Jobsintown.de as the best solution to do so.
The full-sized billboards on the side of service machines were situated on highly frequented subway stations and their nearby environment. Thus we could reach our primary target group effectively: commuters on their way to work. This anchored Jobsintown.de as a relevant portal in the mind of the target group.

Results
In 2005 visits on the website Jobsintown.de increased by more than 25 % compared to 2004. The feedback from the target group was very positive. Moreover, jobsintown were able to increase their brand awareness among other companies, as they received a great amount of enquiries.

The wrong working environment campaign (2006)

The Brief
The task was to increase the brand awareness and to communicate Jobsintown.de as a serious challenger to the established competitors. Only 13 % of employees in Germany are satisfied with their job (Source: Gallup Organization, 2005). Regarding this fact we decided to dramatise bad working conditions with a surprising use of media: Full-sized billboards on the sides of service machines located in public spaces that are highly frequentated by working people.The Creative Execution
We placed billboards in public areas where people would least expect them: On the sides of petrol pumps, cigarette automats and washing machines. This interactive use of media provides a surprising insight into these machines. Instead of the expected machinery there are people working under hair-raising conditions. This provokes a ‘this is exactly how I feel’-reaction. So Jobsintown.de stayed in the mind of the target group: As a perfect solution to change ones personal job-situation.The media Strategy
The target audience is everyone who is dissatisfied with his actual job. The billboards where placed in three different environments, to reach the target group when it’s allready dealing with the topic involved. On their way to work (petrol pumps), or after work in bars and clubs (cigarette automats), as well as in laundromats (you’ve got a lot of time to think about your future while waiting for your laundry).Results
The campaign anchored jobsintown.de as a relevant portal in the mind of the target group. In 2006 visits on their website increased by more than 20 % in comparison to 2005. Moreover, jobsintown increased their brand awareness among other companies, as they received a great amount of enquiries.

The wrong working environment campaign (2007)

The Media Strategy
We created an interaction with the medium it was placed on. Service-machines are doing mundane and unpopular work. So they are the best medium to provoke the recipient’s identification with our motives. It’s an analogy with their own dissatisfying job-situation. Thus we provided the recipients with the idea of changing their jobs when they are already dealing with the topic: After work in bars and clubs as well as in shopping malls.

Results
The campaign anchored Jobsintown.de as a relevant portal in the mind of the target group. Moreover, Jobsintown.de increased their brand awareness among other companies, as they received a great amount of enquiries.

The Screensaver Project (2007)

The Brief
The target was to increase the brand awareness of the employment agency Jobsintown.de and to communicate it as the best solution for a job-related improvement. Considering the fact, that only 13 % of employees in Germany are satisfied with their job (Source: Gallup Organization, 2005), we decided to deal with the dissatisfaction of our target group. We surprised them with an unexpected placement, they could identify with.

The Creative Execution
We dramatized the situation of having the wrong job: In your own computer. A downloadable screensaver first looks pretty normal, but it turns out to be hard work as well, when we get a look behind the scenes. Instead of the expected software, a real man is carrying the visual effect of the screensaver on a lantern across the room. The screensaver can be downloaded at Jobsintown.de.

The Media Strategy
The screensaver provided the recipients with the idea of changing their jobs when they are already dealing with the topic: Every day while working in an office staring bored on their computer monitor. The downloaded file could also be shared with friends and colleagues, to suggest in a humorous way, that it might be time to think about a job-related improvement.

Results
The innovative use of media anchored Jobsintown.de as a relevant portal in the mind of the target group. Moreover, Jobsintown.de increased their brand awareness among other companies, as they received a great amount of enquiries.

The wrong working environment campaign (2008)

Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends Berlin
Creative Directors: Matthias Spaetgens
Copywriters: Daniel Boedeker, Axel Tischer
Art Directors: David Fischer
photographer Hans Starck
2 Silver Lions, 2 Bronze Lions and 3 Shortlist